My New Favorite Plugin!
Okay, I have new favorite plugins pretty often, actually. Any why shouldn’t I? I’m allowed to be fickle. Besides which, that way I can write about more of them.
Right now it’s the Add From Server plugin.
If you’ve ever had to move WordPress content from one site to another, you know that way is fraught with gremlins. One utter pain in the ass is that moving Media Library content isn’t always reliable with the Export feature — some images are missing, some get left behind.
This plugin does the impossible, sort of. When you install the plugin and activate it, it gives you an option to navigate your server file structure in a tree format, and select files to import into your media library.
The only good way to explain what it does is to give you an example.
First, download your wp-content/uploads file from your old site, and upload it to the new site, in the same place. It should slot right in with whatever you have there. Convenient, but WordPress doesn’t know the new files are there.
Fire up Add From Server, navigate through to your upload subfolders, select the files you want added to the Media Library, click “import”, and boom, you’re done.
Right now I love this little plugin with a thousand squishy hearts.
Mer made this mess on April 14th, 2011 | Comments Off
Minimalist Design vs. Fancy, Flashy Fuss: Which Web is Better?
Some folks like things clean and simple. No muss, no frills, shades of grey with maybe a hint of color. Other folks see the internet as a playground, and like (or make) websites full of visual marvels, audio treats, and moving parts: the flashier, the better.
So which is better? Do certain industries benefit from one or the other? Are there benefits to flashy over clean, sparkles over quiet? Or is it a just matter of personal preference?
Yes, it is about preference. Just not yours.
Websites, whether or not they’re full of moving parts, are there for the viewers. Whether they’re potential clients or direct consumers, your site should not only be easy to use and navigate (a key selling point in the current minimalist design trend) but also meet (or exceed!) the visitor’s expectations of your product or service (something fancier sites can do well, if industry-appropriate).
The shining star of minimalist design, Apple.com, is all about the tiny details. The site is impeccable, with tiny details that only designers notice (and that’s how it should be. If you notice the design, something’s wrong!). But the most important detail is that their site is perfect for their company. An accountant, for example, with a website designed like Apple’s would not only be silly, but potentially confusing for the customer. Can you imagine big pictures of, say, accountants and their clients, with little snippets of text and a teeny, tiny contact link in the footer? Of course not! Folks looking for an accountant want to know services offered, rates, location, and how to get started. It’s a good thing (minimalist e-commerce) incorrectly applied.
At the other end of the spectrum, there’s the crazy, flashy sites, full of moving parts and videos and computerized folks that pop up in the corner and talk to you, with no apparent close button in site. Yeah, you know what I mean. That’s not to say that this sort of thing can’t be done incredibly well (I love Mellow Mushroom and La Maison Bisson, for example, thought I’d love to see non-Flash versions), but more often than not, it’s overdone. When adding animated, moving, or highly-designed elements to your site, ask yourself whether or not they add value for the user. “Cool to look at” is not added value. Example: if you have a product that is complex and a customer could better understand how to use/implement that product, video or a 3D rendered animation of the product in action is helpful. It adds value. Swooping buttons that ping when you click them don’t add value; in fact, they can even annoy visitors and turn away clients. Generally speaking, folks come to your website to learn more about your business, not to play games. (That’s what Facebook’s for, amirite?)
As with so many things in this world, moderation is key. If you’re a fan of Apple’s website, and you think your clients are too, but your business providing birthday party entertainment calls for something a bit more bright and colorful? Don’t try to force it! Figure out what it is that you and your clients like about the site (details? rounded corners? subtle menu effects?) and talk to your designer about how those things could work for you. The same goes for the other end of the spectrum – figure out what elements you like, and see if they can be incorporated in a way that accomplishes your goals for the site.
Bottom line? Do what’s best for your business, and your target audience, personal preferences and design trends be damned.
Dani made this mess on April 12th, 2011 | Comments Off
Wicked Plum Weekly Update
This week we’d like to make an announcement — and one that we’re really excited about! It’s the Grand Opening of one of our Wicked Plum shops — Betula’s Botanica!
True to her name she carries a wide and comprehensive selection of herbal bath and body products. They’re made from only natural ingredients and while I haven’t had the opportunity to smell any of them yet, they look amazing.
If I am able to reach out to one person and alter their perspective of nature and Her gifts … then I will have had a good day.
– Monica “Betula” Dech
Monica also had something to say about Wicked Plum:
If I hadn’t crossed paths with Dani, Meredith, and Kate of Hot Glue Media, this website would be many months from fruition. You’re E-Commerce product, “Wicked Plum” and awesome support helped me reach my goal of creating a clean and inviting web site that is an extension of myself and portrays Betula’s Botanica as an alternative source for healthy and nurturing body care products.
Thank you for your kind words, and welcome to Wicked Plum, Monica. Congratulations on your Grand Opening!
Kate made this mess on April 8th, 2011 | Comments Off
Love the Work you Hate
You love your job. Your work is exciting, interesting, inventive, and you’re damned good at it. But not matter what you do for a living, no matter how much you love what you do, there comes a time when you’re stuck with a project that is just…meh. Maybe it’s not challenging enough, maybe it’s for a client, boss, or colleague that you don’t like, maybe it just feels like busywork, or maybe it’s outside of your comfort zone or familiar skillset.
And boy does it suck. But what can you do?
- Break it down and cross it off. Overwhelmingly large projects are even more overwhelming when they’re not fun. Break the whole thing down as far as it you can, into teeny tiny little micro-tasks, and cross them off as you go. Completion is often its own reward, and something doesn’t have to be huge to be check-offable.
- Make it a challenge. Pick a part of the task to get done in 30 minutes, or use a different/unfamiliar tool to do it. Change things up a bit.
- Find something to get excited about. Think about another project that you loved working on. What did you like about it? Find something familiar on your current project, and you’ll get excited about that too.
- Was the project more exciting at the start than it is now, a few months down the line? Try to remember what excited you then, and let that carry over into your current work.
- Regress and play pretend. If the client or PM is the problem, pretend the work is for a client you love. Silly? Yep, but surprisingly effective (and fun!).
- Do the hardest, most uncomfortable part first – everything else will seem easy in comparison, and you’ll be surfing the rush of happiness from knowing that the worst is over.
- Reward yourself. “If I work on this for 2 hours, I can watch some Doctor Who” or “If I complete these 4 tasks, I can break for a cuppa and a few chapters of this book”. Rewards are strong motivation.
Whatever you do, it’s important to get out of the fun. Not just so you can get through your day, but so that your project gets done and done well. Bottom line: Work you love is always better than work you do.
Dani made this mess on April 7th, 2011 | Comments Off
Featured Project: Christening Invitations
Sometimes we just get the best jobs. Doing christening invitations for really adorable babies definitely comes under that heading. We took the color scheme for the front of the invite from her outfit, and used Naomi Atkinson’s FANTASTIC pixel patterns for the textures. The proud parents provided the quote on the cover.
I’ve changed the information and blurred the pictures of course — who wants to see their baby girl all over the internet? — but I think you can still get an idea of how MAD CUTE she is.
Kate made this mess on April 5th, 2011 | Comments Off
